Aviation safety concerns have intensified after allegations that a former FitsAir pilot used a proxy for a mandatory medical blood test at an approved aviation medical facility, raising serious questions about oversight, accountability, and the integrity of safety-critical medical clearances in Sri Lanka.
Credit To Ceylon Today And Journalist
Credit must be given to Ceylon Today and journalist Sulochana Ramiah Mohan, whose report first brought renewed public attention to a deeply troubling aviation safety issue involving an ex-FitsAir pilot who allegedly used a proxy for a mandatory medical blood test.
Ex-Fits Air Pilot Accused Of Using Proxy
According to the Ceylon Today report, it is alleged that a pilot formerly associated with Fits Air, previously known as Expo Air, allegedly sent another individual to undergo a medical blood test in his place.
The report stated that the medical test result was then submitted for mandatory regulatory clearance required for continued flying privileges.
The pilot, reportedly an Indian national who is no longer employed by the airline, was allegedly under close monitoring at the time.
Nawaloka Negombo Under The Spotlight
It has now emerged that the said hospital was Nawaloka Hospital Negombo, one of the listed approved hospitals under the purview of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka to conduct aviation related medical tests.
This raises extremely serious questions because aviation-related medical reports are not ordinary medical documents.
They are safety-critical records used to determine whether pilots, cabin crew, and other aviation employees are fit to operate or serve on commercial flights.
It is therefore deeply disappointing and alarming that the credibility of such important medical reports from a hospital of such repute could be called into question.
If such failures continue to go undetected, the consequences could be disastrous.
CCTV Footage Reportedly Exposed The Proxy
According to aviation sources, concerns were raised over the authenticity of the blood test report submitted in the pilot’s name.
It is understood that after the issue was brought to light, CAASL requested CCTV footage from the hospital.
Only after reviewing that footage was it reportedly detected that the Indian national pilot employed at Fits Air had allegedly used a proxy to undergo the test.
This raises further questions about whether proper identification checks were carried out at the time of the test.
Why Were Arrests Not Made?
Further questions now arise as to why the alleged proxy was not subsequently arrested.
Equally serious is the question of why the said Indian pilot was not arrested over an alleged fraudulent act that could have jeopardized public safety if it had gone undetected.
Aviation medical testing is not a casual administrative process.
It exists to protect passengers, crew, aircraft, and the public.
Any attempt to manipulate such a process must therefore be treated as a serious safety and regulatory breach.
Did Hospital Staff Follow CAASL Guidelines?
The management of Nawaloka Hospital Negombo may have been oblivious to what individual hospital employees were doing.
However, that does not remove the need for accountability.
Guidelines laid down by CAASL for such tests had indicated that strict verification of identity documents and the availability of CCTV recordings be installed as backup proof.
If such checks were not properly followed, the hospital must explain how a proxy was allegedly able to complete a blood test on behalf of a pilot.
Fresh Concerns Over SriLankan Airlines Cabin Manager Case
The controversy becomes even more serious because another aviation-related blood sample was reportedly taken to the same hospital in a separate incident.
This involved a SriLankan Airlines cabin manager who was taken to Nawaloka Hospital Negombo for a blood test after failing two breathalyser tests at the Bandaranaike International Airport prior to boarding a Colombo-to-London flight.
The flight in question was SriLankan Airlines flight UL 503, bound for London, in the first week of June 2026.
According to the original report, the cabin manager was removed from duty, grounded, and not rostered to work while investigations continue.
Can Future Tests Be Trusted?
Given the proven concerns now surrounding the handling of the Fits Air-related medical test, any further aviation-related testing carried out at Nawaloka Hospital Negombo is bound to attract public skepticism.
There is now a strong question as to whether employees within the hospital could be involved in such nefarious activities.
If a proxy could allegedly be used for a blood test, the possibility of blood samples being switched by laboratory officials cannot be casually dismissed without a full and transparent inquiry and any further medical tests as such must be viewed with extreme caution in order to rule out further foul play.
Why Did CAASL Not Suspend Approval?
It is also quizzical why CAASL did not suspend the permission granted to Nawaloka Hospital Negombo as one of its registered hospitals permitted to conduct aviation-related medical testing until a formal inquiry was completed.
Given the gravity of the allegation, a temporary suspension pending investigation would have helped protect public confidence in subsequent aviation medical clearance processes.
Aviation Safety Must Come First
This is no longer merely a matter involving one former pilot, one proxy, or one hospital.
It is a matter of national aviation safety.
If medical fitness reports can be manipulated, aviation regulators, airlines, passengers, and the public are all placed at risk.
The CAASL, law enforcement authorities, Fits Air, SriLankan Airlines, and Nawaloka Hospital Negombo must now provide clear answers.
The public deserves to know how this alleged fraud happened, who enabled it, why arrests were not made, and whether aviation medical testing in Sri Lanka remains fully secure.
